Swivel pipe coupling



Dec. 22, 1953 A. L. GRISE ETAL 2,663,581

SWI'AVEL PIPE COUPLNG Filed June 5, 1950 Jim N INVENTORS HEUER/cfr E.Nasr, J1?. BY Ca/m TTORN Ys ALFRED .L Gly/S AND Patented Dec. 22, 1953SWIVEL PIPE COUPLING Alfred L. Gris, Springfield, and Frederick E. Neef,Jr., Longmeadow, Mass., assignors to Gilbert 85 Barker ManufacturingCompany,

West Springfield, Mass.,

sachusetts a corporation of Mas- Applicaton June 3, 1950, Serial No.165,942

2 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in swivel pipe couplings. Theinvention, while capable of general application, nnds one advantageoususe as a means for connecting the delivery hose of a gasoline tank wagonto the fill pipe connection of a storage tank in liquid-tight fashion. Aconnection of this kind, as distinguished from a loose slip-typeconnection with the ll pipe, enables much speedier deliveries of thegasoline, a substantial reduction in the transfer loss and thesubstantial elimination of the lire hazard.

The ll pipes of gasoline storage tanks vary in form and size. In somecases, the fill pipe is a plain pipe extending upwardly from the storagetank with its upper end projecting above ground and closed by a cap,except during the iilling operation. In other cases, the fill pipe mayconsist of a portion of a iill box, which is sunk into the ground andhas a cover that is removable to gain access to the pipe.' In the firstcase, the pipe is usually threaded externally and in the second case, itis usually threaded internally. The term lill pipe is used genericallyto include any threaded conduit or passage to which the coupling may beconnected.

This invention has for its object the provision of a swivel pipecoupling for the purpose described having a tube for connection at oneend to the hose or other delivery conduit and a swivel body mounted onthe tube, the tube and body constructed to receive coupling members ofdifferent forms and sizes to adapt the coupling for liquidtightconnection to illl pipes of various forms and sizes.

The invention will be disclosed with reference to the illustrativeexamples shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is an elevational view with parts broken away and in section ofone form of swivel coupling member embodying the invention and adaptedfor connection to externally threaded fill pipes;

Fiss. 2 and 3 are sectional views taken on the lines 2--2 and 3 3,respectively, of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the coupling member;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a modification in one ofthe coupling elements oi Fig. l; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view showing another form of couplingmember adapted for connection to internally threaded fill pipes.

Referring to these drawings and first to Fig. l, the coupling involves ahollow, cylindrical, fluidconducting tube l, adapted at one end forattachment in any suitable way to a fluid supply conduit, such as forexample a hose, a swivel body 2 rotatably mounted on the tube l, andinner and outer members, such as t and 4l, which are respectivelysecured to the tube E and body 2. These members are in the forni ofremovable inserts so that they may be provided in the various forms andsizes needed to adapt the coupling to connect with lill pipes of variouskinds and sizes and readily substituted one for another in the couplingelements l and 2. These members 3 and t function, as will later appear,to effect fluid-tight connection with the lill pipe to be serviced.

The tube l is screw threaded at opposite ends, as shown at 5 and t. rIheend 5, as described, may be connected in any suitable way to the servicehose or other supply conduit. The swivel body 2 has a cylindrical bore lto rotatably iit the exterior cylindrical surface of tube I and isrotatably mounted thereon. In the particular form shown, this body hasupper and lower tubular portions 8 and 9, rigidly and integrallyconnected in axially-spaced relation by a plurality of bars I0 (see alsoFig. 2). This construction is solely for the purpose of saving metal andreducing weight. The upper portion 8 has handles l l thereon, wherebythe body 2 may conveniently be turned, while the tube l and hose remainstationary.

' The swivel body 2, or more particularly the lower portion s thereof,has a rst counterbore l2 and a shoulder I3 at the intersection of suchcounterbore with bore vl. This counterbore rotatably receives an uppercylindricalportion I4 of the inner tubular, fluid-conducting member 3,which is screwed on the threaded end t of tube I and the inner end faceof which is adapted to engage and seat upon the shoulder i3. There is asecond counterbore i5 in the portion s and a shoulder l5 at theintersection of the two counterbores. The outer member d has acylindrical portion to t the second counterbore and an inner end'face toseat on the shoulder IS. A

key li is fixed to the portion 9 and projects radially into the secondcounterbore l5, being received in a suitable notch it in the exteriorperiphery of the outer member 4, whereby to prevent relative rotation ofthe swivel body 2 and outer member li. There may be more than one ofthese keys, if necessary or desired, and two are shown herein. A grooveis provided in the second counterbore I5 to receive a snap ring i9,which also engages the outer end face of member :l to hold it in itsseat against the shoulder le. It will be noted that the outer member filhas a portion of its inner end face projecting into the rst counterborei2 and that the inner member 3 has an outer ebd face gli in the path or"such projecting part of the outer member, whereby the axial movement ofthe swivel body 2 on tube i is limited by the abutment of the inner andouter end faces ot the inner member 3 with the shoulder i3 and the innerend face of the outer member It.

The inner and outer members 3 and t, as will be clear, are readilyremovable from tube l and body 2 so that other members of dierent sizesand forms may be substituted when necessary. In Fig. i, the outer member4 is interiorly screw threaded and forms a nut adapted to be screwed onthe externally threaded end of a fill pipe, such as shown at 2i, whenthe swivel body 2 is rotated. The inner member 3 has a portion 22extended from, and of less diameter than, the portion lil and, extendedfrom the portion 22 is a pilot portion 23 of less diameter than theportion 22. The pilot portion 2,3 is adapted to enter pipe 2l andapproximately center the coupling on the pipe so that the threads on thenut i can be caught and engaged with the threads on pipe 2i. This pilotportion may be completely tubular as shown in Fig. l or in the form ofangularly spaced fingers, such as are shown at 2li in Fig. 5. At theintersection of the portions 22 and 23 or 2t, as the case may be, thereis an annular shoulder te to overlie the end face of pipe 2i. Shoulder25 is grooved to receive a suitable packing ring, such as the O-ring 2E.The inner membei 3 has a certain amount of axial play in the swivel body2, enough to allow the body and the nut-like outer member to advancealong the screw threads of the fill pipe 2i, after the packing 26 on theshoulder 25 of the inner member has engaged the end face of the illpipe. lIhe axial movement of the inner member is limited by the rstshoulder i3 and the inner iace of the outer member i which are adaptedto respectively engage the inner and outer end faces of the firstportion lli of the inner member 3.

Another form of the invention is shown in Fig. 5. Here, diierent formsof insert members are used with the same tube i and swivel body 2. Theinner member, designated 3G, is, as before, a hollow, cylindrical,fluid-conducting member but its axial length is substantially equal tothe axial length of the iirst counterbore l and its outside diameter isuniform from end to end, except for a groove at its outer end, which receives a suitable packing ring, such as the O- ring 3i. The upper end ofthe inner member 39, is, as before, threaded on the lower threaded end'e of tube i and its inner end face engages the rst shoulder i3. Theouter member, marked 32, is also a hollow, cylindrical, duid-conductingmember. lt has at its upper end an annular flange 33 to ut into thesecond counterbore i5 and seat against shoulder i5. The flange 33 isheld in its seat in the second counterbore by the snap ring i3. Theinner end face of the outer member 32 abuts the outer end face or" theinner member 3e and compresses the packing ring 3i, whereby to seal thejoint between the two tubular fluid-conducting members. The outer memberhas a portion 3d of reduced diameter exteriorly screw threaded to screwinto a fill pipe, such as 35. A shoulder 36 is provided on the outermember at its intersection with the screw threaded portion 34. Thisshoulder is grooved to receive a packing ring 31. When the portion 35 isscrewed into pipe 35, packing 37 is compressed to seal the joint betweenthe end face Of pipe 35 and the overlying shoulder 38.

If desired, there may be more than one screw threaded portion on thelower end oi the outer member 32. A second such portion 3S, smaller indiameter than the portion 3d, is provided as well as a shoulder 39grooved to carry a packing ring lie. The portion 38 is designed to screwinto a nil pipe of smaller diameter than pipe 35 and the shoulder 39 tooverlie and engage the end face o f this smaller pipe with the ring 413,sealing the joint between the abutting end faces.

In use, the inner and outer coupling members may be quickly and easilyremoved from the tube i and the swivel body 2 and other inner and outercoupling members of different form or oi different size substituted.Removal 0I" the snap ring i3 allows the outer member to drop out, andthen the swivel body 2 may be pushed back on tube i far enough to exposethe inner inember, which may then be unscrewed from tube l. The twogeneral types of coupling members have been shown in Figs. l and 6. Theymay, of course, be provided in many diiierent sizes as needed. With avariety of inner and outer coupling members to use interchangeably withthe elements l and 2, service connection can be made with all thevarious kinds and sizes of i`ill pipes usually encountered.

In the operation of the Fig. 1 form of the invention, the operator willgrasp the handles il and these will rise carrying the body 2 upwardlyuntil the inner face ci outer member .i abuts the outer face of innermember 5. The nut-like member t will be drawn upwardly, exposing thepilot tube 2,3 or the pilot fingers 2li, as the case may be. Theoperator will maneuver the coupling until the pilot 23 or 2t enters theupper end of the. fill pipe and the shoulder 25 is supported on theupper end face of the fill pipe. Then, the swivel body 2 will be moveddown wardly until member i encircles the upper end of the ill pipe,whereupon the body 2 is turned to thread member i on the fill pipe. Whenthe member 4 has been threaded on the hll pipe as far as possible, theshoulder i3 will have forced the inner member toward the lill pipe andcompressed the packing 2S against the upper end of such pipe to providea leak-tight joint. With this arrangement the packing 2i? is compressedwithout rotation of either of the two surfaces between which it iscompressed.

With the Fig. 6 form of the invention, the outer member has anexternally threaded portion which projects beyond the body 2 and isreadily inserted in the threaded hole in the ll box, the body 2 thenbeing rotated to screw this portion in the hole until a tight connectionis obtained.

The invention thus provides an improved swivel pipe coupling which isconstructed to interchangeably receive various forms and sizes ofcoupling members needed to service storage tanks having various kindsand sizes of ll pipes What is claimed is:

l. A swivel pipe coupling, comprising, a fluidconducting tube having itsinlet end adapted for connection to a huid-supply conduit and its outletend exteriorly screw threaded, a swivel body having a main bore in whicha portion of the exterior of said tube is rotatably engaged, said bodyhaving a iirst counterbore and arst shoulder at the intersection of thelatter with the main bore; an inner tubular fluid-conducting membercommunicating at its inner end with the outlet end of said tube andhaving an external cylindrical portion rotatably and slidably engaged inthe first counterbore, a rst annular face at its inner end adapted toengage said shoulder, a second annular face axially spaced from thefirst annular face by a distance less than the J length of the rstcounterbore, and an internally screw threaded portion at said endthreaded on the externally screw threaded outlet end of said tube; saidbody having a second counterbore and a second shoulder at theintersection of the rst and second counterbores, an outer tubularfluidconducting member communicating at its inner end with the outer endof the inner member and having an external cylindrical portion engagedin the second counterbore and an inner annular end face abutting thesecond shoulder and projecting into the rst counterbore in position toengage the second annular face of the inner member and limit therelative sliding movement between said inner member and swivel body,interengaging means on said swivel body and outer member to hold thesame against relative rotation and axial movement, the outer memberhaving a screw threaded portion adapted for connection with the screwthreaded portion of a Iill pipe to be serviced when the swivel body isrotated, and a packing ring on one of said members adapted for sealingengagement with the end face of the ll pipe.

2. A swivel coupling, as set forth in claim 1,

in which the inner member has a second cylindrical portion of lessdiameter than the first counterbore and the inside diameter of the outermember and a third cylindrical portion of less diameter than the secondcylindrical portion and a shoulder at the intersection of the second andthird cylindrical portions, said third cylindrical portion forming apilot adapted to enter the lill pipe to align the screw threaded portionof the outer member with the screw threaded portion of the ll pipe, andthe packing ring being located on the last-named shoulder and adapted tobe drawn by the engagement of the first shoulder of the swivel body withthe iirst annular face of the inner member into engagement with the endface of the ll pipe when the swivel body is rotated to advance the screwthreaded outer member along the screw threads of the fill pipe.

ALFRED L. GRISE. FREDERICK E. NEEF, JR.

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 930,984 McGrath et al Aug. 10, 1909 1,016,620 Gapp Feb. 6,1912 1,638,224 Vandergrift Aug. 9, 1927 FOREIGN PATENTS Number CountryDate 239.809 Switzerland Mar. 16, 1946

